Evo X questions

[JET]

Alright, after finally some decent weather today I got spring fever and started leaning towards an Evo X. I have some questions for the Evo X owners.

Do they get any squeaks and rattles? That is the thing I loved about the 1g, no squeaks or rattles. 2g's drove me nuts!

Have any been getting any rust yet? I know the 8/9 had issues with that, but I believe they went back to galvanizing on both sides of the steel. Is that right?

Any other quirks about them I should know about? I will probably get one that is already modded and looking to end up around 375-400awhp at DB. Do all of the twin clutches on a X rattle or are some of them ok? Are there any modded SST cars around, ralliart or MR so I could check one out? I would love an MR, but am a bit scared of the tranny.

[simulatedwood]

Do they get any squeaks and rattles? Yes the 08 rattle like crazy but it can be addressed. Also please note the GSR has less sound deadening material then the MR's do.

Have any been getting any rust yet? Nope..

Any other quirks about them I should know about? Yep, buy a 2011 if you can, that was the year they addressed the diff pin issue, fuel relay issue, and the tunes were better from the factory.

Probably get one that is already modded and looking to end up around 375-400awhp at DB. "Good luck with that, it probably will not happen on stock turbo or sst with out some serious coin"

Do all of the twin clutches on a X rattle or are some of them ok? They all rattle.

Are there any modded SST cars around, ralliart or MR so I could check one out? Not that I am aware of, but I would go MR if I was doing it again.

I would love an MR, but am a bit scared of the tranny. The transmissions are good as long as you do not go crazy with mad power goals they has been some breakthroughs in programming that make them more reliable

[scheides]

375 is a little greedy but I think its possible on the stock motor with an ef2. stock turbo won't do it but it definitely could make that much torque!

They can rattle but I literally have $30 into some extra sound deadening on my car that has made a world of difference.

2010+ is an ideal model but a modded 2008 you will end up with a lot of bang for your buck. They can be had in rough shape for stellar money and then cleaned up...that's what I have done. I bought my car 3 years ago now and even with adding 30k miles to the car KBB is within $1k of what I paid.

Yea, go easy with an MR and you'll have no issues. Have you considered a modded 2009+ ralliart? Look into them at least, they are on the list of cars I'd buy.

Also, i have to post this here...shawn posted this elsewhere and it is just spot on for modding (added fpr zip tie and fuel pump relay to the list though).

Originally Posted by simulatedwoodgrain

Drive like you stole it! Since you have a new one they are pretty good right out of the gate, with very little to do, in fact the stock tune is pretty solid. I wouldnt do anything but here is the list of little mods to do in the order of importance from first to last.

Ziptie fuel pressure regulator line.
Install latest fuel pump relay.
Check to make sure the transfer case has not been overfilled from the factory.
Install an AMS shift gate selector bushing on the transmission to tighten up the feel of the shifting a bit.
Remove the clutch delay valve.
Aggressive alignment with flipped camber bolts. (Camber 2.0F , 1.0 -1.5 R ) (Toe in the Rear 0 or .5)
Rear Sway-bar Upgrade. =

Stop at this point..Perfect reliable car with a warranty, any thing after this on the list will void the warranty...

**If planning a tad more power*** All these require re-tune**

Install a drop in filter. (if you want it quiet) If you like mad power noise, Install intake of choice.
Reflash ecuflash with Tatrix 2.0 cable, Log with evoscan. Try Map switching with Tephra MODS (if available)
Install a 3 port bcs from Grim-speed, Perrin, etc.. at minimum to get a better handle on the boost control.
Crush the stock BOV.
Test Pipe in place of the cat.
Exhaust Upgrade (Magnaflow is a good choice)
Replace Stock UICP with a quality piece.
Brake Pad Upgrade - (Personal Preference)
Tire Upgrade (Personal Preference)
E85 Upgrade: 850 cc or greater Injectors, DW65c fuel pump
Inter-cooler Upgrade : (AMS, ETS, Buscher)
Clutch Upgrade (Twin Disk because you stock clutch is toast from STS!)

Still Want more power? Jesus whats wrong with you?

Turbo Upgrade (BBX Lite, BBX, FP Green, EF2, EF1, EF2.5)
Down Pipe Upgrade
Fuel System MODS for more power ( Different Injector Rail, Drill the return Line, DW 400 Fuel Pump)

Blow the Stock block up... Still want more power? If no... install stock long block.. If Yes ... Ask Murlo what to do.. or buy a v8...

Shawn

[JET]

Good info, thanks! Did they fix rattling in 2009 or do they all rattle?

[JET]

Yeah, wasn't expecting 375whp with a stock turbo. I was hoping to find one moderately modded already. So the 2010 on up is good to go, not the 2011? Most of the ones I have been seeing are 2008.

As for the MR, there doesn't seem to be a ton of good info out there. EvoM has the SST section but there is hardly anything in it. Are there any better resources out there? I might have to look in to an RA, I hadn't checked them out too much as I know there are a fair amount of differences from the evo.

[Trogdor]

Some of the 2008 issues were addressed in 2010. But not all of them. The 2011+ models are good to go. But it will be almost impossible to find a 2011 for 25k.

They rattle a little. Not nearly as bad as the VIII's or IX's.

370-400 isn't impossible on a stock turbo, but not advisable! MAP had a stock X turbo at 409 and it didn't last long. Other thing to remember is that the SST's over heat under too much torque. You need to consider transmission cooler and clutch packs.

Differences between Evo and RA are as follows:
turbo (single scroll)
intercooler (smaller)
BOV (plastic)
manifolds
suspension
brakes (No brembos)
seats (no recaros in the RA)
tires

[scheides]

Originally Posted by Trogdor

Differences between Evo and RA are as follows:
turbo (single scroll)
intercooler (smaller)
BOV (plastic)
manifolds
suspension
brakes (No brembos)
seats (no recaros in the RA)
tires

And for a few hundred bucks you can bolt-up evoX turbo parts (stock or aftermarket) and have a pretty fun little wagon (if you get the sportback edition--that's what I am keen on).

[Kracka]

I would definitely say go 2010+, very glad I did. Hell, if the price is right, I'd sell you mine 2010's don't seem to have diff pin issues and they have way less clutch master cylinder failures. I swapped out my fuel relay for the updated one the day I bought my car so I can't comment there. The better factory tuning in the later years is irrelevant once modded & tuned. 2010+ has a few small, but noticeable, improvements to the interior.

I added 20 sq/ft of sound deadening to my car and it really helped; the car is just fine on the highway for long trips. I also added Presto adhesive felt to the backside of a lot of the interior plastic to reduce the rattles and squeaks.

If you opt for the SST transmission they are able to hold power very well assuming you have it properly tuned, and buy the appropriate clutch packs for your power goals. If you plan on upgrading the turbo, plan on upgrading the SST clutch discs. Also plan for annual fluid and filter changes for the SST. SSP makes a decent OEM replcement paper filter for $50 (Mitsu is $110), but I'm not sure what the Diaqueen fluid costs these days.

The only major problem I've had with my car was the transfer case being overfilled from the factory causing it to grenade at 13k miles; brand new replacement was covered under warranty though. Otherwise, the car is holding up really well, including my stock clutch still. 425whp/400wtq, 27psig, 93-octane, 54k miles.

[Goat Blower]

Hmmm, I forgot about the SST cars, I'd probably go that way if I go back to an Evo in the future. That tranny style seems to work well for the GTR crowd.

[timschot]

I have a 2008. I did the diff pin upgrade and an evo 8/9 cmc conversion while the car was apart anyway. Fuel relay is really a non-issue.. buy the new relay, swap it. Many people say they don't have problems with the stock cmcs either.

It depends on your plan for the car. If you can find just as good a deal on a 2011+, great, but if not.. find a good deal on a 2008, use the extra money to fix the early year issues and make the car what you want it to be.

The only thing I don't like about the x is the weight compared to an 8/9. I might put my car on a diet soon, haven't decided if it's worth it yet.

[JET]

Lots of good info, thanks guys! Not real happy about squeaks and rattles, but it doesn't sound like they are real bad.

[timschot]

My interior's been apart many times and doesn't squeak and rattle. Maybe I got lucky.

[Murlo26]

I also don't really have squeaks/rattles.

My car is loud as shit though so maybe I just don't notice.

[AcrazyDriver]

I currently have a 2011 MR, I don't know what she currently puts down since I've never dyno'd it. But she's currently on e85, TBE, Intake, UICP, Swift Spec-R springs, ST43 pads, RA1 tires, SS brake lines and a few other things. I don't use my car for the drag strip but I do on occassion take off from the lights to do some testing of the car prior to my events.

When I recently serviced my MR the SST fluid was fairly clean compared those those claims on the IE. I went with the SSP SS filter which set me back quite a bit, but at least I won't have to keep replacing it. The R.Diff and Transfer case were the two dirtiest fluids. I was drifting my car at our low speed events and that's why my stock tires only lasted 4k miles.

I won't classify my driving as hard as far as the transmission or hardware goes, but I do push my car to go fast and maximize my tires. The car does see quite a bit of track and I used for DD. The MR SST will make driving on the road course a whole lot easier. But the GSR will make most people feel more connected to the road.

The weight hasn't been as noticeable since I switched springs, I notice a whole lot less pitching forward and backwards under hard accelerations and and braking, the car is more planted while making fast transitions around tight technical courses. But you do notice a bit more understeer where which it didn't have before because it had more body roll, but is completely manageable.

If youre planning to do more track then get a GSR, if it's 95% DD then an MR would be best. I saw the value of my SST when I was coming back from Mid-Ohio when I got stuck in Chicago rush hour traffic.

The GSR does a much better job of transfering power to the ground. When I test drove a friends last Oct it was pretty clear to me the power was more noticebly crisper when you're dialing in every ounce to utilize every inch of track while chasing a 460whp STI.

Anyways the only things I don't like is the cost of replacing the SST fluid, which you'll need two cans which I got for around $220 each and Filter was $190. But that's all part of owning a nice super sports car. And the other is after you've warmed up the car and youre ready to go fast around the track car puts out a huge puff of smoke, that's due to the SST down shifting and causing a rich mixture to come out the tail time which is typical with automatics.

I'll be at BIR on May 6 feel free to stopby, youre welcome to checkout the car there. These guys who have chimed him have a whole lot more experience with these cars. I'm the new kid and I spent quite a bit of time reading from their experiences prior to my purchase. So thanks guys I really appreciate your time and honesty.